Well, this is probably not an oft-asked question here, but here goes...
What are the options for someone who wants to build a custom keyboard cheaply? Like, waay cheaply? There are a handful of options for high quality components and keycaps, but they tend to be on the high quality and expensive side.
The reason I ask is because I'm working on a project that involves multiple devices, and I'd like to integrate a keyboard into each device. Think 80s microcomputer style devices. I'd love to have cherry keys and double-shot molded keycaps and all that jazz, but it's damn expensive to go that route.
So, what other options do I have? I've scoured the net for kiosk keyboards, industrial keyboards, switches and keycaps etc. At the end of the day I want something that I can mount in my own enclosure, whether it's an off-the-shelf keyboard designed for that purpose, or something I build myself. Membrane or scissor keys would be fine, but squishy sloppy rubber and plastic-capped-rubber keypads are no good, and that knocks out all the industrial and kiosk keyboards I've found.
Thoughts, suggestions?
